India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad announcement has created quite a buzz. While Shubman Gill has been promoted as vice-captain, two of India’s most consistent young batters – Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan – were left out, sparking a debate among fans and experts.
Shreyas Iyer’s omission had already raised eyebrows, but the absence of Jaiswal and Sudharsan has added fuel to the fire. Jaiswal, who was the backup opener during last year’s T20 World Cup, has impressive numbers: 723 runs in 23 T20Is, including a century and five fifties at a strike rate of 164. His IPL 2025 campaign was equally strong, scoring 559 runs in just 14 matches with six half-centuries.
Despite those performances, Jaiswal finds himself only in the reserves. The case of Sai Sudharsan is even more striking. The left-hander piled up 700+ runs in IPL 2025, yet he too didn’t make the cut for the Asia Cup squad.
Former India cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath voiced his concerns, questioning the logic behind these decisions. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath said,
“It’s positive that Gill is being backed as a future leader. But what about Jaiswal and Sudharsan? Their numbers are better than Gill’s. Is this selection based on recency bias?”
He further highlighted that such selection dilemmas are not new in Indian cricket, where form in one format sometimes overshadows consistent performances in another.
Meanwhile, India’s Asia Cup campaign begins on September 10 against UAE in Dubai. The much-awaited India vs Pakistan clash is on September 14, also in Dubai, followed by their final group match against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
With Gill stepping into a leadership role and big names missing out, the Asia Cup 2025 promises not just high-voltage cricket but also plenty of off-field discussions around India’s selection choices.